Is a Flood-Damaged Car No Longer Worth Keeping?
2 Answers
A flood-damaged car can generally still be kept if the water exposure hasn't damaged the engine. Below are some precautions for driving through water: 1. Drive in low gear: Use a low gear (for automatic transmission vehicles, engage the hill-climbing gear) and slowly drive through the water at a steady speed while maintaining control of the steering wheel. Be aware of any potholes or gaps in the road beneath the water. 2. Do not restart the engine after stalling: If the vehicle stalls in the water, never attempt to restart the engine. Engine stalling indicates that water has entered the cylinders, and restarting it can cause severe damage due to the incompressibility of water. This may lead to bending or breaking of the piston connecting rod components, and in severe cases, can result in the complete destruction of the engine.
When it comes to flood-damaged cars, I've seen plenty of tragedies after working in repair shops for over a decade. Water damage severity varies: if it only submerges the tires, you might face short circuits or failed sensors; if it rises above the hood, starting the engine could instantly destroy it with water ingress, costing tens of thousands to fix. Electronic systems are more delicate—moisture in the ECU can render it useless, with repair costs exceeding the car's value. Soaked interiors grow irreversible mold, posing respiratory health risks. Rusted chassis weakens structural integrity, with hidden dangers surfacing months later. My advice: don't rush to scrap it, but get a professional technician for a thorough inspection—testing fluid purity and checking wiring corrosion. Lightly flooded cars may be saved by part replacements and deep cleaning; severely flooded ones should be claimed through insurance or disposed of. Safety outweighs cost—next time, park on higher ground to prevent accidents.
